SLOPS

Having been reminded of this excellent neologism by Dolan at Just Left, it’s occurred to me that a similar affliction can be seen among the denizens of the NZ blogosphere.

Now, there are certain wings of that ‘sphere which are well-known for their wingnuttery and general tendency to fly off the handle, and those I won’t dwell upon. But in the past week or so I’ve seen a couple of examples from sources of which I’d expect a bit more.

First, and most egregious, Tim Selwyn’s rabid attack on Christopher Pryde, the NZ lawyer who has taken the post of Fijian Attorney-General. I can’t excerpt most of it, but here’s one of the politer sections:

He deserves to be summarily executed and/or tortured in the same way other victims of the military have under the aegis of his protection – that is the fate he courts. Let that day come soon.

Perhaps Tim’s purpose is to try and finesse a gag lawsuit. Not to criticise the fundamental point Tim is making – that Pryde is an opportunistic illegal-dictatorship-supporting hack, a discredit to his profession and his country – but the degree of invective here is simply over the top. The point would have been better made in more measured tones; as it stands, the personal attacks detract from the real reasons for condemning him, and make Pryde look like the victim of a character assassination attempt.

Second, The Standard’s response to the offensive and moronic smear ‘Nanny State’ with an even more offensive and moronic smear, the ‘Stepfather State’ characterised as distant, violent, self-indulgent and misogynistic, which originated in a comment on Colin Espiner’s blog:

Stepfather State’s taken over.
Our new parent likes to keep his distance…he usually comes home after work at the office…but only for a quick bite to eat…he ignores the kids, yells at the Mrs and kicks the dog on the way out to the club to meet his business mates for a few bevvies…most nights he gets to ogle/grope the pole dancer…and then drives home a “bit p!ssed” (it’s his right you know)…then a quick grope with either the Mrs or himself and a zzzzzz…

This resulted in the commentariat falling over themselves to invent yet more offensive and moronic characterisations in a bizarre competition to see which side could be more bigoted. Worst offender, the usually-sensible vto:

Or a bit like the smaller step-brother, the maori party.
“Our new bro likes to get in your face…he has no work but comes home pissed…but only for some eggs…he ignores the bitch, yells at the other bitch and kicks the kids on the way back to the pub to meet his mates still more bevvies and some P…most nights he gets to ogle/grope the fat slag behind the bar…and then smashes some innocent person walking home, gets picked up by the pigs and ends up with his mates in the klink… no gropes of his missus now so has to play with himself, which comes naturally to him being a labour voter”

I didn’t post it Lew, but it was pretty clearly intended to take the piss out of the Nanny State meme, not to sink to the level of the Kiwiblog Right.

Nor to perpetuate damaging stereotypes I assume.

Quoth the Raven writes,

I’ve never considered Tim Selwyn to be particularly left wing. His outbursts of mysogynism and xenophobia are very telling and he clearly has nationalistic tendencies.

Misogyny and xenophobia are not limited to the right, there’s plenty in plain view on the left. Nationalism, I wouldn’t even think of that being right only, plenty of nationalist lefties and centrists.

I reckon Tim Selwyn’s post and the post on The Standard both suffer from “it would work if I said it to my mates, but in the cold light of the internet it makes me look like a prat”. That’s a combination of the textual nature of the net, and that one’s audience on the net is not actually ones mates.

Oh and, “anyone sensible would’ve known I was only funning” as a defence for bad behaviour.

Quoth the Raven on May 3rd, 2009 at 17:58

Anita – I’m aware of it, but I think most who consider themselves left wing would consider intolerance to be antithetical to their ideals. Nationalism entails a certain amount of authoritarianism and so is utterly antithetical to the ture left at least i.e., those on the left who share the ideals that have marked what is considered left wing since its inception in the french legislative assembly. The centre is a constatnly shifting area of populism not anything to do with what is left. Anyway I think there is a heavy dose of incoherence and inconsistency with Tim Selwyn.
I would also add that Selwyn talks of “the left” hence seemingly distinguishing himself from it.

What would Hayek say on May 4th, 2009 at 11:43

QTR – I disagree, nationalism is neither a left nor right wing issue. History is full of examples of either groups using nationalism to serve their own purposes. An easier example is free trade and land sales, NZ left leaning political groups generally have a first reaction staance of opposition e.g. greens, a number of right leaing groups also oppose e.g. NZ First.

Unions tend to represent a good example of the tension, on the one hand, unions in the past have gone on solidarity strikes for workers in other countries, yet have then turned around and opposed another countries purchase of an asset. Its not logically consistent, but it is the emotional/thymotic aspect of humanity coming out.